


The New Addition

by JetGirl1832, tomatopudding



Series: The Hamilton Family Album [5]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Family Angst, Foster kids, Gen, New Baby, Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-07
Updated: 2017-04-07
Packaged: 2018-10-16 04:00:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10563264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JetGirl1832/pseuds/JetGirl1832, https://archiveofourown.org/users/tomatopudding/pseuds/tomatopudding
Summary: Angelica, Eliza and Peggy have been adopted by the Schuylers and love their lives is Albany, but things begin to change.





	

The school bus came to a stop at the bottom of the driveway, the door opening to allow three sisters to step out. Angelica waved to their friends still on the bus and smoothed her skirt before the three girls started making their way up to the house.

Their patent leather shoes crunched on the gravel as they made their way up to the house that they called home. Peggy was chattering excitedly telling her older sisters about the new game she'd learned during recess.

"And I won every time!" Peggy said excitedly, "Even the first time I played. Ryan was really impressed."

The two older girls exchanged a look and a grin when Peggy's cheeks flushed slightly. Ryan was the youngest Schuyler girl's current crush.

"I bet he was," Angelica teased as they opened the front door.

"We're home, mama!" Eliza called out, her voice echoing slightly in the open foyer.

Catherine Schuyler entered from the living room from where she'd been practicing on her viola and smiled at her daughters. "Hello girls!"

"Mama can we have a snack?" Peggy asked.

"There's one waiting in the kitchen," Catherine said. 

Peggy squeezed a quick hug around Catherine's waist and rushed off, her Mary Janes making tapping noises on the hardwood floors. 

"Don't get your uniform dirty," Catherine called after her. 

Angelica heaved a small sigh, "She will. Peggy is incapable of eating without making a mess. I'll go get her to change first."

The eldest girl slid off her shoes and carried them with her. 

"How was your day, mama?" Eliza asked as she began taking off her own shoes.

"Just wonderful sweetie," Catherine smiled.

"In fact," she continued, tucking an arm around Eliza's shoulders to walk her towards the kitchen, "I have some very good news to share with you girls and your father."

Eliza's eyes grew wide with excitement, "What is it?"

"I'm afraid it's going to have to wait until papa gets home," Catherine chuckled.

Eliza frowned slightly.

"You'll know soon enough sweetie," Catherine gently tucked Eliza's braid behind her ear, "now why don't you join your sisters in the kitchen."

With one last look, Eliza went off to the kitchen. Catherine could hear her relaying the new information to her sisters and the excited murmuring that followed as the girl's tried to guess what was going on. Catherine allowed herself a grin.

"I bet we're getting a puppy!" Peggy exclaimed.

"That'll never happen," Angelica shook her head.

"Why not?" Peggy furrowed her brow.

"Because papa is allergic," Angelica replied.

Catherine giggled as she listened to them, there was no way they'd be able to guess. Catherine could scarcely believe the news herself, she and Philip had long since thought that they would never be able to have biological children, but clearly some sort of miracle had occurred. She hoped that the girls would be as excited about this as she knew Philip would be.

\----------

The girls eagerly sat at the table awaiting their mother's news.

"My dear you seem to have stunned them into silence," Philip chuckled, "must be some news." he sat himself down in his chair at the head of the table.

"Can you tell us now?" Eliza asked.

Catherine dabbed her lips with a napkin and placed it beside her now-empty dinner plate. 

"Well, I had my usual visit to the woman's doctor today," she said, "My doctor has been telling me for a long time that it is impossible for me to have children," she explained to the girls, "which is why we started fostering and when we met you we knew that we wanted to adopt you."

"We know," Angelica replied. 

"You've told us before," chirped Peggy.

"What's going on, mama?" Eliza added. 

"The impossible has happened," said Catherine with a smile, "you three are going to be big sisters."

Eliza gasped, "Really?"

"Catherine..." Philip's jaw dropped, "I can't believe it..."

"I could hardly believe it myself," laughed Catherine, "I had her do the pregnancy test three times before I even let myself believe it."

Philip let out a laugh and went to embrace his wife, "This is wonderful!"

In the excitement, none of them noticed the worried look that bloomed on Peggy's face or the furrow that was forming in her brow.

It wasn't until later when after Angelica and Eliza had brushed their teeth in preparation for bed they found their youngest sister in their room in tears.

"Peggy!" Eliza exclaimed, rushing over to where she was curled up on her bed and wrapping an arm around the younger girl's waist. 

"What's wrong?" asked Angelica, striding over, "What happened?"

Peggy tried to quiet her sniffles, "M-mama and Papa don't want us anymore!"

"Why would you say that?" Eliza asked gently rubbing Peggy's back.

"Th-they only adopted us becau-ause they couldn't have kids of their own," the girl continued, her breath still hitching, "but now they can so they don't need us and we'll have to go back to the home and I don't wanna."

She dissolved into sobs once again, burying her face in Eliza's chest.

"That's not gonna happen," Eliza hugged Peggy close, "they love us."

"But we're not theirs," whispered Peggy, "not really."

"Yes we are," Angelica said fiercely, "We are theirs and they will always want us. And I'm going to prove it to you."

"How?" asked Peggy miserably. 

Angelica helped Peggy to her feet and the three girls made their way to Catherine and Philip's bedroom. Eliza knocked and they entered when the permission came. Their parents were both sitting up in bed. Philip was working on a crossword puzzle with his reading glasses perched on his nose and Catherine was reading a novel.

As the girls shuffled forward their parents turned to look at them, it was Catherine who noticed Peggy's red and tear stained cheeks.

"Oh my goodness," Catherine gasped throwing back the duvet and going towards them, "Peggy what's wrong?"

"Peggy," Angelica said, "has gotten the ridiculous notion in her head that you won't want us now that you have a baby of your own and that is just not true." Her voice, which had started strong, now wavered slightly, "Right?"

"Oh sweetie," Catherine pulled Peggy in close, "we love all of you so much, how could you think we'd not want you anymore?"

Peggy shrugged miserably, still sniffling. 

"You girls are everything to us," continued Catherine, "and no new baby is going to change that. This is an addition to the family, not a replacement."

Peggy quietly rubbed at her eyes and leaned against Catherine, Angelica and Eliza joined her their arms wrapped around each other. 

"We love you all so much," Philip put in, enveloping them all in a hug of his own, "Nothing could ever make that change."

 

\----------

Once the girls knew that the new baby meant they didn't have to go back into foster care they became excited at the prospect of having a little brother. They even helped their father paint the nursery (which they got more paint on themselves than the walls but it was the thought that counts).

 

After they had passed the first few months where the chance for miscarriage was higher, Catherine relaxed into the pregnancy. Angelica helped more and more around the house as Catherine grew larger, Eliza picked baby clothes and toys, and little Peggy measured Catherine's belly every week and kept a progress chart. All three girls were present at every sonogram and Catherine nearly cried every time she heard the baby's strong heart beating.

But the day she came home from the hospital with their little brother was the best day by far. Their father's sister Gertrude had come to stay with them and while they loved their aunt they were excited to have their parents home and to finally meet their little brother.

Finally, the day arrived and all three girls rushed the front door when it opened despite Aunt Gertrude's best attempts to hold them back. 

Catherine was walking slowly, a bundle of blankets in her arms and held securely against her chest. Philip's arm was around Catherine's waist as he guided her to the living room, the girls following along at their heels like excited puppies. 

Once she was settled in her rocking chair, Catherine cradled the baby in her arms with his head supported in the crook of her elbow. Philip carefully pushed the blanket away from the baby's head and he looked around at the people around him with wide eyed wonder. His eyes were still the bright blue of a newborn and a fine layer of fluffy hair curled over his head. 

"Can I hold him?" Eliza asked. 

"What's his name?" queried Peggy. 

Angelica whispered, "He's so small."

"One at a time," Philip laughed, his voice low.

"What's his name?" Peggy asked again bouncing up and down.

"Philip Jeremiah," Catherine replied looking over at her husband.

"Just like Papa!" Eliza exclaimed.

"That's right," said Philip, his eyes shining with love as they swept over every member of his family.

Eliza stepped around and went to hug her father around his waist nuzzling against him.

Philip tugged gently and affectionately on the end of her braid before leaning over to press a kiss to the top of her head. 

"Do you still want to hold him?" Philip asked. 

Eliza's entire face lit up as she looked up at him, "Really?"

He had his sister bring a chair from the kitchen and Eliza sat in it, adjusting herself so that she was comfortable and secure. Catherine passed the bundled baby to her and Eliza supported him carefully. 

"Hello Philip Jeremiah," she murmured, "My name's Eliza and I'm your older sister. Well, one of them anyway."

Peggy and Angelica giggled as they crowded around Eliza looking down at their little brother, the love in their eyes apparent.

Philip Jeremiah immediately won the heart of every single person who met him and his three older sisters doted on him every moment they could.


End file.
